Firstly, barking is a completely normal part of dog behaviour. We should not aim to make dogs silent. Barking is part of a dog’s rich and varied communication. As humans, we use our voices to speak. Is it fair to expect a dog not to bark? That is like expecting us to stop communicating via our own language.

A bark is not just a bark. Barking is away that dogs express themselves, and we should not regard all barking as the same. Common advice for barking includes ignoring it or using punishment but none of these methods address the root cause.

So what are the different types of barking, what do they sound like and what helps?

🐾 Alarm Barking: this tends to be sudden, medium in pitch, loud and fast. It will usually be in response to a stimulus of some sort, such as, a sound coming from outside the home or something unusual a dog notices in the environment. It is a startle response and will feel intense, being directed at the stimulus identified. The dog’s body language will be upright, ears forwards, and eyes focusing on a specific area where they have detected a stimulus.

The purpose of this behaviour is to alert, but there may also be a territorial element, especially if it involves responding to sounds and stimuli outside the home. Territorial-type barking can be deeper and involve growling. Dogs have evolved alongside us and will communicate when something unexpected is happening. You would probably be grateful if your dog alerted you to the sound of a burglar, but you are likely not to appreciate it if your dog does this multiple times a day to other sounds that you know are no threat. Your dog does not understand the difference, and each dog will vary slightly in what they alert you to.

Dogs that are alarm barking need your acknowledgement, reassurance and help to calm down. Many dogs will settle quickly if you show them you are checking out what is happening, for example, peering out of the window, and then call them away from the source before scattering a few treats. If the stimulus is ongoing, you will need to ensure your dog does not ping-pong backwards and forwards while alerting. This is where doors, closing the blinds, or adding background noise at home can be useful. On a walk, you can simply call your dog away and move away from what they are alerting to.

If this type of barking is excessive, triggered several times per day, and your dog struggles to calm down or feels territorial, there are likely underlying anxieties or fears making your dog’s alarm system more sensitive. If you punish a dog for alert barking, you will increase their overall stress, which can actually increase their barking in the long term. If you ignore it, they may not calm down and may become more easily triggered.

🐾 Fear Barking: this will be triggered quickly, similar to alert barking, but will elicit a fearful response. The body language of a fearful dog usually includes a tucked tail, ears folded or held back and a body leaning away from the source of worry. Fear barking is usually high-pitched, may involve some yelping or even growling as the dog tries to protect itself. The purpose of fear barking is to make the scary thing stop or go away.

If a dog is scared, the worst thing you can do is force them to face their fear or use punishment, even if you know there is nothing actually dangerous. Your dog feels scared, and that is all that matters. In these moments, your dog needs safety. Help them move away from what is scaring them so they do not need to escalate their behaviour by using aggression to protect themselves.

Fear is normal from time to time, but if your dog is scared of many things and this reaction is triggered frequently, you need specialist help to change their emotional response. Ignoring or punishing a scared dog will not help.

🐾Frustration Barking: frustration is seldom talked about but it plays a massive part in dog behaviour. If you have ever felt frustrated by a situation, you will know how unpleasant it is to feel so out of control and unable to get what you need. Frustration is a big emotion.

In psychology, frustration is defined as an emotional response to the blocking of a goal-directed behaviour. It occurs when a person’s efforts to achieve a desired outcome are thwarted, leading to feelings such as irritation, anger, anxiety or helplessness.

Frustration barking can sometimes appear angry and often involves loud, rhythmic bursts of barking with small pauses. Frustrated dogs may be persistent, pacing around, pawing at something, jumping up, or trying to access something. Body language will be tense. Frustration barking often occurs when dogs are physically held away from something they want access to, or when something they were enjoying comes to an end.

If your dog is feeling frustrated, they need help. Can you ask them to do something else instead to get what they want? Can you train them to respond differently? Can you provide more of what they need so they do not feel frustrated?

🐾 Loneliness: dogs that bark when alone are not always lonely. Sometimes they are bored, alarm barking or frustrated. For more information on separation-related issues, see the previous blog post titled “Separation problems with dogs”.

A lonely dog will have long, drawn-outbarks and/or howls. This barking is usually repetitive, may involve gaps between bouts and can continue for hours. It occurs when isolated or separated from their family, or sometimes from a particular person or dog.

A lonely dog is often pacing around the room or standing still while looking around. This dog needs social contact. If your dog does this each time you leave them, they need help to feel comfortable when alone. Or they may cope to a point, but are being left for too long.

🐾 Excitement Barking: This is most common in young, energetic dogs or dogs that have not learned to cope in stimulating situations. It might happen in anticipation of a ball being thrown or during play with dog friends.

Excitement barking is usually fast and inbursts. It is often high-pitched.

If your dog barks a lot during excitement, calming activities are useful. Consider the activities you do with your dog: if they are high-octane and repetitive, you could be accidentally encouraging barking. Mix up your activities. Introducing simple scent work is a great way to lower heart rate and encourage calmness during excitement, such as a scattering of treats. If your dog is excited about guests arriving, providing something long-lasting and calming, such as a stuffed food toy or a chew, can help. Playful dogs can also be encouraged to hold onto a toy at times of excitement, such as when people arrive home, which helps them regulate themselves better.

🐾Attention Barking: if your dog focuses on you, paws or nudges you or throws a toy while barking, they might be barking for attention. If your dog is bored or needs connection and meaningful interaction, this is a completely normal way for them to communicate. Ignoring this can turn it into frustration barking and punishing it misses your dog’s needs.

If your dog approaches you and barks and you play with them, this behaviour will be repeated because it was successful. Consider whether your dog is truly getting enough attention and stimulation. If you have a young or lively dog and also live a busy lifestyle, they may not begetting the attention they need. Often, at the end of a busy day, we want to relax, and it is easy to spend hours watching TV or scrolling on our phones. Dogs are a highly social species, and these needs must be met for them to feel fulfilled and content. If your dog barks for attention frequently, schedule time for them each day. Choose activities they truly enjoy and do them together. Once your dog’s needs are met, you can teach them to relax while you relax.

🐾Anticipation Barking: do you have a dog that barks while you dish up their food and until the bowl is put down? This is anticipation barking. It is high-pitched, fast, and repetitive, usually paired with tail wagging, pacing, jumping or even spinning in circles.

This can easily turn into frustration, especially if you delay their gratification due to the barking. A good way to address this is to reward patience before they start barking. Work on the situation when you are not in it, using training sessions with the food bowl when your dog has already been fed.

🐾 Combination: of course, your dog might bark when someone arrives at the door, then excitement bark when they see the guest, and then frustration bark at being shut away. Dog behaviour is not always clear cut, and multiple emotions can beat play. It is up to us, as dog guardians, to figure out what is likely happening and how we can best help. If you are unsure, a dog behaviour expert can help.

🐾 A compounding issue for all types of barking: any dog whose basic needs are not met, who is uncomfortable or in pain, whose breed-specific roles are not fulfilled or where basic training has not taken place, is going to be more prone to barking.

The key issue is to look at your dog’s life as a whole and not just at the barking that is causing you an issue.

When we address the root cause, unwanted behaviour is reduced. However, it is unrealistic to expect a dog never to bark, just as it is unrealistic to expect children never to communicate with their voice.

Blog written by Claire Mcknespiey of Educating Paws